Now or Never
by Brindabella
Summary: On assignment in Melbourne, Susie and Jonesy hit the streets, eager and excited to learn of Melbourne's underworld drug trade. Add in some romance and you've got yourself a great weekend! Please R&R!


Date begun: 10th February, 2005

Date finished: 10th April, 2005

Song credits: Bryan Adams, R Kelly, Nelly Furtado

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to the writer; they remain property of Channel Seven and Southern Star

Dedication: For the first general classical girls of 2002, and Lachlan McCulloch for writing The Street and The Street 2 and inspiring me to try my hand at writing about The Street as well.

Drugs ruin friendships, relationships, families and homes, and are illegal. Report dealers, traffickers, manufacturers and users to Crime stoppers or the police-

© Riss 2005

**Now or Never**

Susie couldn't live like this forever. She had a hunger for some love, and she certainly wasn't getting it. She hated not being in a relationship, as it was so lonely. There was no one to go home to at night, no one to cuddle, no one to sleep beside, no one to love, and Susie missed that. She didn't often admit it to herself, but somewhere in her sub conscious she wanted Evan to give her all those things she longed for.

Did he feel the same way? It was a question that kept her up at night. She did fall asleep eventually, after hours of laying with her hands linked behind her head, but then she only dreamt of him. She'd wake up in the morning almost sure he was sleeping with her in his arms, and she'd smile. Then she'd open her eyes and find it was just her in the bed, and she was in fact very much alone, lost in the sheets and feeling the bed was far to large for herself.

They faced each other at work everyday, stepping around each other with embarrassed stammers and blushing cheeks. Susie felt like an idiot, but didn't know what to say, and neither did Jonesy it seemed. One thing Susie knew for certain was that her attraction to him grew everyday.

She looked forward to the two day drug training course they would be attending together in Melbourne the following week. It was just the two of them going, meaning Jonesy would be the only person she'd know, and probably want to talk to for the entire two days. She was eager to go to the training course, and was excited at the prospect of being in and around Melbourne's sleazy, bustling, drug riddled suburbs. It would be a totally new experience, and far away from the sleepy house burgs and stolen livestock of Mt Thomas.

The day before they were to leave for the course, Susie and Jonesy were given the afternoon off – a rare act of kindness by the Boss. Susie and Jonesy went their separate ways at lunch – Susie heading to the gym, and Jonesy to the Imperial. Susie felt the need to detox herself before she headed to Melbourne and walked briskly to the gym.

As she walked along the footpath, she thought about what she might be heading into, and with Jonesy of all people. Would this weekend spell the beginning of something else for the two of them? Something that had perhaps been brewing for more than a year? And now, in new surroundings would something happen? Susie didn't know if she should be excited or not. Should she let herself get excited? Or was that the wrong thing to feel?

She pushed open the door to the gym, and headed for the locker room, undoing her jacket on the way. There was not another soul in there, beside the girl behind the desk in the foyer, and the emptiness of the place gave her a chance to think. She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking out the daily grind, and changed into a white bathrobe, with her towel underneath. She padded barefoot down the secluded hallway to the sauna, thinking that maybe she could sweat away any insecurities she was feeling about the days ahead, and pump herself up to have a good time and make the most of it.

She sat down inside after hanging her robe on a hook by the door. Breathing in, she finally felt herself begin to relax. It felt good to take some time out, catch her breath for a moment, and she closed her eyes at the thought, letting her body go limp.

With her senses at ease and her body limp like a rag dolls, she just about jumped through the ceiling when the door opened. Her eyes sprang open and she sat up quickly. Her eyes met immediately with Jonesy's, her breath taken a way for a swift moment when she saw him.

"Hey Suse," Jonesy breathed, sitting down not far from her, the towel wrapped firmly around his waist. He was close enough for her to feel the electricity he was letting out into the air though, and it almost made her dizzy.

She blinked in reply. "What are you doing here?" she asked, nervous, despite wanting to feel pumped up and confident about the days ahead, starting now.

"Just wanted to relax, you know, detox a bit, before we head to The Street," he chuckled quietly, humouressly referring to St Kilda's drug dealing hot spot, nicknamed by coppers as 'The Street.'

Susie summoned up her courage and replied. "Funny, I came here for a bit of a detox too," she smiled at him, receiving a smile back. He moved closer. She felt a chill run up her spine.

Evan wondered if he could withstand his desire just to touch Susie while they were in the sauna. Just towels between them, and nothing more, it wasn't an easy task. The sweat poured off them both as they sat there in the semi darkness of the wood paneled room.

"What do you think is going to happen while we're in Melbourne?" he breathed into her ear, surprising himself at how seductive and brash he was being. It was something neither of them were used to.

Susie gasped at the feeling of his breath tingling her ear, but then a smile escaped from her lips. She turned her head and they started into each others eyes, Susie feeling like she was delving into his soul by looking so deeply into his sparkling eyes. "I don't know," she breathed, an entirely new feeling pumping through her. "Maybe something…" she hesitated, teasingly. "…Exciting?" she raised her eyebrows at him, impulsively planted a feather light kiss on his unaware lips and got up, looking over her shoulder at him as she left the steaming hot sauna.

He watched her as she walked away from him, maintaining their eye contact until she was out the door and out of sight. He flopped back against the wall and grinned, running his fingers through his hair. Exciting? He thought to himself. She'd said it, and it made the course sound a lot more appealing all of a sudden.

Susie padded down the hallway barefoot giggling to herself. Had she really just kissed him? Something had come over her, and she had made him think something 'exciting' could happen while they were in Melbourne. She breathed in deeply, that same adrenalin still racing through her veins, and suddenly remembered her bathrobe. It was still hanging on the hook by the door in the sauna, and she was wondering through the halls of the gym in nothing but a towel. She spun on her heel, heading back to the room she'd just left.

Jonesy sat against the wall, the grin still on his face. He couldn't seem to wipe it off. He had his eyes closed, trying to remember the feeling of Susie's kiss. God, had it given him a hunger for her now!

He opened his eyes again, getting up to find a better place to sit. He saw Susie's bathrobe hanging on a hook by the door and felt his opportunity slap him in the face. Getting up, he grabbed the robe with one hand and the handle of the door with the other.

Susie reached the door handle also, only from the opposite side. Just as she placed her hand on it, the door flew open by itself and the surprise made her eyes open wide and threw her off balance. She fell onto Jonesy, waiting on the other side of the door just about to exit. Instinctively he held his arms out and caught Susie just as she was about to hit the floor.

Susie was speechless, and she just stared at Jonesy as he held her in his arms still remembering her kiss and their conversation not even five minutes earlier, he grinned down at her, feeling a bit of a game coming on.

Susie struggled to get herself back up to standing, and quickly realized her towel had slipped down further than intended. Blushing furiously, she yanked it back up, thanking God it was a big towel, and tried to gather her bearings as she stood yet again excruciatingly close to Jonesy, who still had a playful grin on his face.

"Is this the exciting bit is it?" he asked, that playful grin twitching uncharacteristically cheekily.

Susie smoothed out her hair and smiled, regaining her composure quickly. "Don't let your thoughts run away with you Jonesy," she took on a disciplinary tone, gently teasing him. "Thanks for the ahhh…hand," she said, realising his hand was still in fact on the small of her back. "I'm heading to the showers," she began to walk away yet again, grabbing her robe from his hand as she went.

Jonesy stood there, his hands now empty, his mouth moving, but no sound coming out and Susie walking away from him – again. "There's no one else here," he blurted out quickly.

"So?" she replied, turning back to face him.

"Should we go tog…?" he stopped, fearing he might be going that little bit too far. "Don't worry," he stammered.

Susie smiled, and gave him a seductive wink. "Just get ready for the course Jonesy."

Now he couldn't wait to get to Melbourne, if only to be able to have more time with Susie. He had a distinct feeling things would change between then over the two days of the course.

He awoke early that morning, not having slept a whole lot the night before anyway. His mind could not get away from Susie and what had happened at the gym that afternoon. Damn, the woman was keeping him up at night! He thought to himself.

They arrived in Melbourne separately, only a few hours apart. The vibe in the city was racing and it pumped Jonesy for the next two and a half days. He settled into his hotel room – really just a slightly upper class backpacker's hostel – and familiarized himself with the accommodations surrounds. He wasn't too impressed, but it would do. What more could you expect from the Police Federation anyway?

The Victoria Police Headquarters were just across the road, and that was where the course was to begin the next day. His curiosity nearly got the better of him, but he decided to wait until Susie arrived and they would go together.

He didn't have to wait long, but long enough to fall asleep on the surprisingly comfortable double bed in his room. His eyes fluttered shut and he drifted off into dream land, his hands linked behind his head and his shoes kicked off onto the floor beside his bed. He was awoken by someone tickling his sides. "What the…?" he laughed and tried to sit up straight to escape the tickler. He opened his eyes and saw that it was Susie, a wicked grin on her face.

"Slacking off Jonesy?" she smiled, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "You can rest when the course is over, not before it's begun!"

"I know, I know," he replied, staggering to his feet. "I was waiting for you," he smiled, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

She smiled and impulsively she grabbed his hand and dragged him from his room. "Come on!" she said as she pulled him down the hallway. "I wanna go and check out where we'll be going tomorrow."

Minutes later they were inside the building across the street. It was a huge, very modern looking building, a lot different to what they were used to. They made their way to the second floor where the drug squad offices were, peering through windows and open doors as they went. Rounding a corner they bumped directly into a smartly dressed man in a sharp black suit.

"Oh!" Susie stepped back in surprise. "Sorry."

"No worries," the man replied kindly. "You looking for the preliminary drug squad course?" he'd read their minds.

"Yeah," Jonesy replied. "Just checking it all out before tomorrow."

"OH well, you're in the right place," he answered. "Down the hall and to the left," he gestured in the direction.

"Thanks," Susie and Jonesy replied at the same time, beginning to walk away.

"You two married are you?" the guy asked, noticing their linked hands. Susie had completely forgotten they were holding hands, and embarrassed, she dropped Jonesy's instantly.

"Oh us?" she replied. "Nah!"

Evan shook his head also. "Never!" but he grabbed Susie's hand back up again, surprising her. "Just best friends."

"Riiiggghhhhtttttt…" the guy replied, confused. He shook his head as he walked away.

Susie turned to Jonesy. "I didn't know you thought of me as your best friend," she asked honestly.

"'Course I do," he replied, squeezing her hand. "We have fun together don't we?"

She smiled. "Yeah," she answered, squeezing his hand back. But at the same time she couldn't help but think that their conversation and all the hand squeezing was something more. Still, she was up for anything while they were in Melbourne, especially after the sauna adventure, so she kept a firm grip on his hand, and not much later they walked out of the building and back to their hotel after meeting those in charge of the drug squad course and sussing out where they would have to go the following day.

As they neared the hotel entrance Evan spoke again, feeling it was an appropriate time. Sometimes conversation between them flowed easily – like when they would play pool at the pub, but other times silence was the dominator. "What room are you in?" he asked, holding the door open for her.

What a gentleman, Susie gushed inside her head. "Ahhh 17. Right down the hall from you. You're in 14 right?" she asked out loud.

"Yeah," he nodded and smiled as they walked through the foyer.

Less than an hour later they again found themselves relatively alone, sharing espresso's in the coffee lounge that adjoined the foyer's front desk. Susie had bought her introduction to the drug squad booklet with her, but she didn't get a chance to read much of it.

"Put that away," Jonesy said, reaching over the table and closing it for her, their hands brushing quickly, but long enough to create a spark that fuelled Susie with confidence and anticipation. "It's a beautiful day, and we're going to go out and enjoy it," he impulsively grabbed her hand and they ran out the door together.

"My coffee – " Susie laughed as she ran one step behind him. But she let herself be pulled along, eager to spend some time with him.

"I hope you bought your bathers," he said as they ran back to their rooms.

"Yeah…why?" Susie asked, breathing hard as they finally stopped outside her room.

"The sun is shining, the weather is warm, I'm taking you to the St Kilda Pier. Now quick smart, get in there and get changed!" Jonesy left her and went to his own room. Susie chuckled, and unlocked her door before stepping inside.

Less then ten minutes later Jonesy was knocking at her door again. "Ready?" he called out, belting his fist on the wooden door.

"Give me a sec!" she laughed from inside. She slipped on her denim mini and pulled a black singlet over her head, then slipped her feet into a pair of thongs. She was glad she'd allowed herself to be a typical girl and packed almost her entire wardrobe. You just never know what is going to happen or where you are going to go when away from home. That was her opinion anyway, and she was sticking to it.

She slung her straw bag over her shoulder, grabbed her black Audrey Hepburn sunnies and opened the door. As she stepped into the hallway she almost lost her footing and stumbled toward Jonesy.

"Woah there!" he smiled. "We're not in the sauna now Suse," he said, teasing.

She swatted at his arm and walked down the hallway without him. "Well are you coming?" she called out over her shoulder, getting her revenge as she strutted teasingly down the hallway.

Soon they were outside in the summer sunshine, walking side by side down the street. Susie snuck a glance sideways at Jonesy, taking in his chocolate brown boardies and faded blue labourers singlet. She wanted so much to be walking down the street in the middle of Melbourne holding his hand, as a couple.

But they weren't. Instead they saunted casually past cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs. At last they reached the beach. Jonesy began to run ahead of her. He kicked off his thongs, yanked off his sunglasses, pulled his singlet over his head and threw it all on the sand, then bolted down to the crashing surf. Susie stood and watched with more decorum, her arms folded across her chest. She wasn't too sure she wanted to get in what she was sure was freezing water, but she began peeling off her clothes to reveal her bathing suit none the less. Her back turned, she pulled at her sunglasses but suddenly felt a pair of wet, cold hands grab at her waist, giving her goose bumps instantly.

Jonesy picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder and running once again to the waters edge.

"Jonesy!" Susie screamed, protesting. She couldn't help but laugh at the same time though. She hit his back with soft slaps, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but he had a firm hold on her. He crashed into the water and threw her into the expanse of blue.

She squealed with shock at the cold water hitting her body, and suddenly felt like a teenager again. She stood in the waist deep water and fanned her arms out behind her, sending a splash of water in Jonesy's direction. He laughed at her attempt to splash him and he sent a shower of water over Susie in retaliation, drenching her to the bone.

"Oh that's it!" she squealed and ran as best she could through the water toward him before jumping on his back. She pushed his head under water, but he bought her down with him, and they both wrestled and splashed, coughing and spluttering in the water in the late afternoon sun.

They stayed in the water for more than an hour, splashing each other and acting like teenagers again. Finally though, as the sun began to set, Susie waded back to the shore, hoping to stretch out in the sand for a while to warm up again. She dropped to her knees by their belongings and then stretched out on the warm, coarse sand. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked out to sea, watching as Jonesy soon waded in also. He ran towards her and then sat down next to her, his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked over at the beautiful woman beside him and smiled. The sun made her skin glow a golden brown. He turned back to squint out to sea. Together they watched the sun set over the ocean.

Not long after, they got up, gathering their things and walking back towards the grassed area. Jonesy carefully placed his shirt, shoes and sunnies against a wooden fence post and went towards the outdoor shower that stood on the edge of the grass, just before the sand. Susie watched as he washed the sand off his body, and wished she could do the same, but she held back. There was only one shower. And she didn't have a towel.

Jonesy noticed the look on her face and looked at her. "You can come in if you want," he smiled at her reassuringly. "I won't bite."

Oh and when you held my hand  
I knew that it was now or never

She smiled back and put her stuff at her feet, then walked over to him. The water was surprisingly warm for an outdoor beach shower. It cascaded over her skin, washing away the gritty sand that stuck annoyingly to her limbs.

Jonesy stood scarily close to her, and when he stared intensely into her eyes, she stared just as intensely back. He reached out and took a hold of her hand, the water falling over the both as they stood still looking at each other.

He moved closer, making the space between them infinitely small. Susie breathed in deeply, her head dropping as she felt herself be enveloped by Jonesy's spell. He bought his other hand up to her side and his touch made her look up again. He pressed his lips slowly, softly into hers and she quivered with delight. She bought her free hand up from her side to bring his body closer to her own and they kissed slowly and sensually, allowing the water from the shower to rain down upon them as they tasted each others lips.

The afternoon they shared together charged Susie and Jonesy with a deep love for each other that could only grow. It set an energetic pace within the two of them for the beginning of their drug course. It was to begin at 9am the following morning and Susie was pumped.

Thursday morning she awoke in Jonesy's arms. She looked at him as he slept silently. She was snuggled up against him and his arm snaked around her shoulders and his hand rested on her side. She smiled as she remembered that was where he had touched her so lovingly and timidly the day before at the beach, a moment she would remember forever.

She looked past Jonesy to the digital clock on the bedside table. It was just before 7:30am and the day was already warm. She wiggled slightly in the bed and it woke him. He opened his eyes and a smile escaped from his lips as he remembered where he was and who was lying in his arms, at last so close.

He turned his head and saw her looking at him. He ran his index finger down her nose and to her soft pink lips and then he replaced his fingers with his own lips and they kissed passionately, basking in the morning sun that streamed through the window and spilt onto the double bed they lay on. Their faces millimeters apart, Susie spoke up, still smiling at him as she studied every aspect of his gorgeous face. "We better get up," she whispered playfully.

"I suppose we better," he whispered in reply, winking at her. He untangled himself from the sheets and got up, his back to her, and stretched his arms over his head with a satisfied grunt. Susie watched him, shaking her head and laughing quietly to herself. He was so adorable.

He turned around and saw her watching him and he knelt back on the bed and scooped her up. She threw her arms around his neck and threw her head back, bursting out with laughter she just couldn't hold in. She couldn't help herself; he made her feel great, even deep down inside, in the pit of her stomach.

She bought her lips up to kiss his and he bought her back down to standing and they separated, Jonesy back to his room down the hall, to get ready for the day.

Susie sat in the small room, her legs crossed, her posture straight and she hung onto every word that the head of the drug squad was saying. She had agonised over what to wear on her first day, and hoped what she had chosen was appropriate and made her look professional. Drug squad was one of her long term goals in the force and she so badly wanted to make a good impression.

During the lunch break she and Jonesy headed down to the park by the pier where just yesterday their love for each other had at last come to the surface. To Susie's delight, Jonesy held her hand as they walked to the pier. And when they reached the street vendors, he slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her close to him as she ordered burgers for them both. She gave him a beaming smile as she felt his hand rest comfortably on her hip. She wished he could keep it there forever.

They settled on a bench that gave them a spectacular view over the small dunes and onto the sparkling ocean. "I hope we get to go out on the beat tonight," Susie said to Jonesy, her voice full of youthful enthusiasm, whilst she munched on her burger with the lot.

"Do ya?" he smiled as he replied. "It would be fun."

"I just want to get into the thick of it you know?" she was nearly bobbing up and down. "Get in there where the action is and see what it's all like. It'd be so good."

Susie's moment came soon enough. About an hour before the seminar was to finish, the pairs from each station were given a drug squad detective who briefed them for their night. They were going to be sent out onto the streets for a night of observation, and if they were lucky, some action and maybe even an arrest. Susie could hardly contain her excitement.

As they were leaving the drug squad offices, pumped up to spend a night on the Street, a female drug squad detective pulled Susie aside. "You're gonna need some pretty different clothes than those ones for the Street," she said helpfully.

Susie had a vague idea of what she was on about, but gave her a puzzled look anyway, so that she could gather as many pointers as possible.

The woman nodded knowingly. "You'll stick out like a sore thumb otherwise," she smiled. "The dead beats can tell an outsider from a mile away. You'll need to blend in. Here, go and see Sivan down on the ground floor. She should be able to help you," she handed Susie a business card with the name Sivan Haines on it.

"Thankyou so much," Susie said to the detective. "I would've gone out there so unprepared if you hadn't said anything." Had she sensed that Susie was a country cop? Susie thought to herself. Probably, she laughed.

"No worries," the detective replied with a friendly smile. "Now go out there and lap it up. Don't leave any stone unturned ok? You may never get this opportunity again," and with that she walked away.

Susie stood in front of the mirror, the bag of clothes from Sivan open on the bed behind her. She almost laughed at her reflection. This was the polar opposite of Susie Raynor. She could hardly believe her eyes. As she stood there looking at her reflection, the door opened and in walked Jonesy, buttoning up his shirt, his head down, concentrating.

"You nearly ready Suse?" he said. "We'll be la-" he stopped in his tracks when he saw her. "Shit," he cursed, bewildered. "You look different!"

Susie laughed. "They told me I had to tart myself up, so that's what I did," she did a twirl for him, showing of her extremely short skirt, low cut halter top and stiletto heels. Unconciously, she tugged at the bottom of the skirt, trying in vain to pull it down.

"Jesus, it's lucky you've got great legs," he gave her a wolf whistle and smiled at her. She hit him on the shoulder for teasing her.

"Well I want to see that great chest of yours," she undid the first few buttons of his shirt, revealing his toned chest.

"Hey, woah there!" Jonesy pulled her onto his lap.

"We have to go out there as different people Jonesy," Susie urged, her arms linked once again around his neck. "You look far too much like your normal self," she got up and rummaged around in Sivan's bag again. She found a pale beige beanie and plonked it over his shaved head. Then she found a surf symbol necklace and handed it to him, before grabbing his arms and rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. "That's better. You look almost like a zonked out beach bum," she laughed. "When I was a teenager I always loved surfie boys."

"Well I'm your man!" he grabbed her hips as he stood up. Their lips met in a passionate lock and they exited the room.

The Street was positively buzzing and adrenalin rushed through Susie's veins. She felt a little uncomfortable wearing the clothes she was wearing, but she was still pumped. The clothes were all part of the act, part of the experience.

The drug squad detective that they would spend the night with was to meet them on a street corner. People walked past constantly, some fast, like they had somewhere really important to be, while some just sauntered past, no meaning or drive in their step. Susie and Jonesy stood awkwardly on the corner, waiting for the detective. Susie couldn't help but notice, even despite their get ups, that the two of them still stuck out somewhat. "Hold me," Susie whispered in his ear.

"What?" he pulled back for a second, surprised.

"Look around us Jonesy," Susie urged. He gazed around the Street. Men and women everywhere were drinking, talking, smoking, kissing, groping, fighting, yelling, probably even shooting up in the dark corners where nobody could see.

"Oh," he admitted. "We don't quite blend in do we?"

"What do you reckon?" she joked, rolling her eyes at him. He laughed at her, that deep hearted, larrikin laugh she loved so much.

"So hold me," she said, smiling. She moved closer. "Come on Jonesy, get into the act. Remember you're not Evan Jones tonight," she pressed her lips against his. He let his hands roam to the back of her skirt, and he squeezed her backside playfully. He nibbled at her ear and felt her quiver ever so slightly in his hold.

"That's better," she whispered, placing her head on his shoulder, letting her breath tingle over his neck and ear.

"Oi!" someone whispered suddenly in Susie's other ear. Susie nearly jumped out of her skin. As it was she nearly rolled her ankle, and not for the first time, on her stiletto heels. It was Mitch, the detective. He had snuck up so expertly on the couple, like a pro. Or perhaps Susie and Jonesy were too wrapped up in each other to notice anything or anyone around them. Susie had a feeling they wouldn't have any trouble slipping into character for the rest of the night.

"Hey Mitch," Jonesy said, Susie still half wrapped around him. "We're just trying to blend in," he smiled.

"Oh by all means, go right ahead," Mitch encouraged. "It'll make the night all the more interesting."

Susie smiled. She kissed Jonesy again and placed his hand on her hip again, like it had been earlier that day at lunch. "Let's go then hey boys?" she asked the two men.

They set off to explore the dark side of Melbourne. Susie was amazed at just how different it was. The night time bought out all sorts of people, most of which she was sure were lost, lonely individuals just living for their next hit or their next drink. It was a depressing thought, but not one Susie could do anything about, so she kept her mouth shut and her eyes open, lapping up the experience, as she had been advised.

They walked the busy streets, Jonesy holding onto Susie like she was his possession. He didn't feel all that comfortable doing it, fearing Susie would think he had no respect for her, but he was just copying the general population. Every second guy seemed to have some chick on his arm, and for this exercise, Jonesy didn't want to look any different. They chatted quietly between themselves, Susie squashed in between the two guys, although Mitch certainly kept his hands to himself, not moving in on what he assumed was Jonesy's territory.

As they walked past a busy club, the queue outside a mile long, Susie felt two huge hands wander under her top and up her back. For a split second she thought it was just Jonesy, but she quickly realized it wasn't. The hands were rough and sleazy, not at all like his. She darted forward, and moved to the other side of Jonesy with a terrified yelp, opening her eyes wide.

"Awww come on love," the guy slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol and his hands reaching out for her again. But his action was stopped by Mitch and Jonesy, who angrily shoved him away. "You want me!" he went on, undeterred by the shoving and angry looks of Jonesy and Mitch. "Look at them sexy clothes you put on just for me!" he almost fell over as he finished the sentence.

"Not in this lifetime," Susie said under her breath, inching even closer to Jonesy as they walked away quickly. She touched at the corners of her eyes to get rid of the tears that had begun to form there. Mitch watched her as she tried to do this discreetly.

"Don't let him get to you Susie," he said sympathetically, shooting her a kind look. "Keep your chin up and just ignore them." She nodded, trying not to look like the scared inexperienced novice. "Unfortunately every second guy on the Street is like that."

"So this might not be the last time this happens?" Susie asked, a sense of dread in her voice.

"Nup. Chances are most losers we pass out here will have their eye on you. They can never let a gorgeous girl just walk away, whether you've got an Evan Jones on your arm or not," he gave her a sympathetic look again.

Susie just nodded sorrowfully, not sure now why she had been so eager to be apart of the Street for a night.

Jonesy pulled her to him for a second as he saw the emotion and fear in her face. "He's right about the gorgeous part. You are gorgeous," he whispered, looking her squarely in the eye underneath a street light. It made her smile, and relax somewhat. "I'll be right here, all night, don't you worry," he smiled at her, and leaned over to kiss her lips quickly.

"Thanks Jonesy," she replied, grateful she had this man in her life at long last.

Half an hour later they had only walked their way halfway up the Street, but were getting bored. "Can't we go in somewhere?" Jonesy asked Mitch, eyeing the clubs and pubs around them.

"You want to!" Mitch asked incredulously.

"Yeah!" Jonesy replied. "It's so boring out here. I thought it would be buzzing a lot more, but it's not," Susie nodded in agreement, the novelty of treading the pavement wearing off, especially with her stilettos.

"It's a different world in there, much different to out here," Mitch warned, raising his eyebrows at them.

"I'm up for anything," Susie said, although not as confidently as she had hoped. Jonesy nodded in agreement.

"You guys should get a look at everything I suppose," Mitch decided.

"Excellent!" Jonesy grabbed Susie's hand and dragged her to the end of the line outside the nearest club door. Mitch followed at a slower pace and shoved his hands into the pockets of his torn jeans, amused.

"You know," Mitch began, smiling cheekily and leaning in close so that nobody else could hear. "You two hotting it up really does look genuine. Good job. You're really blending in," he nodded approvingly.

Susie turned to Jonesy and grinned. "Yeah we're great actors," she said, dissolving into laughter with Jonesy as they shared their private joke.

"Come on," Jonesy headed inside with Susie and Mitch hot on his heels.

Again Susie stuck close to Jonesy as they entered the club. She might've been a tough cop, she reminded herself, but it seemed that that didn't count for much here, and her looks and figure could warrant some unwanted attention.

The club was packed to the gills, but Jonesy kept a firm grip on Susie's hand and they plunged into the sea of people. The music pumped unbelievably loudly, louder than any other club Susie had been to before, and she wondered if the extreme volume of the music was a dire attempt to cover up anything dodgy.

"I'll be by the bar," Mitch yelled. "You two have a bit of an explore," and with that he was gone, swallowed up instantly by the crowd.

"Do you think he's going to drink?" Susie yelled into Jonesy's ear.

"I don't know," he replied. "He shouldn't be. But I think he's responsible enough to know sense from stupidity."

Susie nodded, starting to bob up and down to the pulsing dance music. "Wouldn't mind a drink myself though! Just to put me at ease!" she laughed and he joined in as they began to dance.

They stayed in the middle of the dance floor for a while, watching others and quietly marveling to each other just how many different people were there that night. So many had a glazed, incoherent look in their eyes and danced non stop, an energy Susie suspected had come from something highly illegal. But she wasn't really there to make arrests or assess characters. She was an observer only and anything else was just good luck.

Later, she made her way to the female toilets. For once she couldn't have Jonesy on her arm and she immediately felt a little vulnerable. She pushed her way through people, dodging drinks and flailing limbs as she went. At last she reached the bathrooms and found there to be a queue. Sighing, she attached herself to the end and leant against the wall that was covered with graffiti and other artwork. She decided to use the time wisely, and did some people watching again.

A woman wearing just a short ra ra skirt and a bikini top staggered past the line, prodded along by her boyfriend, and into the practically empty male toilets. Even with the loud music playing Susie could hear the girl begin to vomit and her boyfriend yelling obscenities at her. Why do people subject themselves to this voluntarily? Susie thought to herself.

The line moved at a snails pace, but at last she made it into the bathrooms, only to be met with a floor littered with used syringes and empty foils and girls leaning into the dirty mirrors over the basins, their make up smudged under their eyes. "Thank God I don't look like that," Susie said under her breath as she walked past them. She picked her way carefully over the needles and rubbish and into a cubicle.

Moments last she emerged and endeavoured to make her way back to where she had left Jonesy. The music was louder than ever, and it seemed as though there were even more people in the club than before, if that was possible. It took her almost ten minutes and lots of pushing and shoving to get to him. She leant into his ear as she reached him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Sorry I took so long," she whispered, just loud enough to be heard. He nodded back and smiled.

"I've got us some action," he tried to look inconspicuous. "Just play along," Susie nodded, unsure of what he was on about, but getting that excited rush inside her again.

"So Tony, you are your girl wanna see what I can offer you?" a young guy dressed surprisingly well for the Street said. Susie stared at him as he spoke, taking in his good looks and athletic build. She sighed quietly though. How looks could be so very deceiving she thought to herself. This guy could be one of the biggest drug dealers in Melbourne. She'd certainly be tempted to buy anything illegal from him if the opportunity arose. If she was into that sort of thing.

"Sure Roger," Jonesy smiled obligingly. "Just let me tell my mate at the bar that we're heading off. Meet you outside in 5?"

"Sure thing Tony," the guy was so easy going. He must've been desperate, Susie mused. "See you in 5."

Jonesy pulled Susie away without another glance at Roger. Together they made their way to Mitch, who stood casually against the bar, sipping at his glass. As the pair approached, Mitch smiled and beckoned them over.

"I love it how water and vodka are the same colour," he laughed. "Everyone here thinks I'm drinking the hard stuff, but I'm just getting my daily dose of H2O," he seemed to find this particularly hilarious and Susie wondered for a moment if Mitch really had been drinking straight vodka. She dismissed the thought though; certain Mitch would never drink on the job. "So how're you guys going?" he asked, downing the remaining contents of the glass.

"We've got a live one mate!" Jonesy seemed to have caught some of Susie's excitement, and it shone through in his voice.

"Yeah?" Mitch asked incrediously. His head turned to Susie and back to Jonesy. Susie kept quiet – she knew as little about this as Mitch did.

"Yeah," Jonesy replied, a tiny grin spreading across his face. "He said he's got some eccy's for us, cheap as, sounds like he's eager to get rid of them. He's meeting us outside in five minutes."

Mitch suddenly stood up straight, amazed at the news. "This is perfect Jonesy! Only e's but still. It'd be another dealer off the streets. Let me get the boys ready. Did he say where?"

Jonesy nodded enthusiastically. "The alley behind the Go Café."

"Right, you'll have to stall him though, give the boys a chance to be ready. They're usually always close to the Caf, but still."

"So we should go through with it?"

"Definitely!" Mitch answered, leading them through the crowd towards the door. "This is perfect work experience for you guys. Just make sure you make some sort of obvious statement, about money. That'll be the boys cue to pounce. But do it at the very last second," they were so close to the door they could feel the breeze from outside. Mitch stopped. "You right then?"

"I think so," Jonesy replied. "You ready for some action Suse?" Susie nodded eagerly in reply.

"Christ, can't believe this is happening on your first bloody night," Mitch shook his head disbelievingly. "Bugger me," he punched Jonesy lightly on the upper arm and walked out the entrance before them.

Moments later Susie and Jonesy stepped out into the fresh air. It was a stark contrast to the air inside the club. Inside the smell of cigarettes and sweat was heavy, and lingered over everyone and everything, but outside the air was refreshingly cool and smelt of the sea and freshly ground coffee.

Jonesy held Susie's hand and they walked together towards Roger, who lent impatiently against the brick wall of the club, a little way down from the main entrance that Susie and Jonesy had just walked out of. "Thought you weren't going to show Tony," Roger stated before walking briskly down the footpath in such a way that demanded they follow him.

"Tony?" Susie mouthed to Jonesy, trying to hold in her laughter. "You've seen the Godfather too many times Jonesy," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Shut up," he whispered, also trying to muffle his laughter. "We're acting remember? Now do something to stall him!"

"What!" Susie almost yelped, stricken. She was never good at improvisation in drama class at school. Her teacher would always put her on the spot and she would always stumble through it. Stumble! Susie thought to herself. That's it! She wouldn't have to improvise much anyway, since she was falling over practically every ten steps as it was with those stilettos. She marvelled at those women who could work stilettos so well. She was certainly not one of them.

"Make sure you catch me before I hit the ground ok?" she whispered into Jonesy's ear.

"Wha – " before he could finish Susie tripped on an invisible crack in the pavement and dramatically threw herself forward. Just centimetres from the pavement and moments away from a broken nose, Jonesy reached out and grabbed Susie around the waist, almost pulling off her skirt in the process. Susie gave a strangled, high pitched scream, one Jonesy was sure would've been a lot louder had she fallen the extra few centimetres onto the pavement and endured a smashed in face

Susie's scream made Roger spin around instantly and he stared as Jonesy helped Susie back up. "What happened?" he asked seriously.

"Octavia had a bit of a stack that's all," Jonesy explained, shaking his head.

"Oh," Roger sounded like he couldn't care less, and walked on.

For effect, Susie put on a limp and hung dramatically off Jonesy. "Nice one," he whispered.

"Thanks, I do my best," she flicked her hair back, trying to be sexy. "But Octavia? It sounds like a 1940's prostitute!"

"I do my best," Jonesy winked teasingly at her. Susie just shook her head in reply.

Susie's 'fall' hadn't really stalled Roger very much, but Jonesy figured it would have to do. They were almost at the café and Susie's put on limp made them walk slower then normal, and so that was yet another attempt at buying time. But moments later the café came into view and Roger led them quickly around a corner to a dimly lit alley way. It was dark and dingy, just like in the movies, and skips and other garbage bins lined the fence. Potholes littered the gravel ground and dirty water lay still in them all.

Roger dug his hands into his pockets as he stood under the bare light bulb that lit up the back door of the café. "Tony," he grinned wickedly. "We've met on the right night my man. I've got a shit load of stuff, ready to go," he held out his hands, showing several tiny plastic zip lock bags, each containing anywhere from one to eight ecstasy tablets.

"Oh we don't want a lot," Jonesy said.

"Oh no worries mate," Roger assured them. "This is top quality shit, you'll be back for more soon enough," he grinned his wicked grin again. Under the light bulb Susie noticed for the first time just how attractive he was _not_. His greasy hair, unshaven face and dirty clothes hadn't really been noticeable in the club, but they certainly were now, out in the real world.

"It all looks good Rog," Jonesy said. "I'd say we'd be happy with two," he purposely reached that decision after noticing none of the bags contained exactly two of the tablets. Roger would have to do some rearranging.

"No worries Tony," he drawled. "Two it is," he began opening the bags, sorting out the number of tablets.

"Can I have a look?" Jonesy asked, peering closer to distract Roger. Jonesy could sense they were close and the boys had surrounded them.

"Top quality e's, I assure you," he winked at Jonesy.

"Looks good Rog," Jonesy grinned, looking out the corner of his eye at Susie. "Let me see if I've got enough cash on me," he began patting his pockets, as if searching for his wallet. "Did I give it to you babe?" he turned to Susie. She was so used to just listening to the two men talk that she was wasn't ready for the question.

"Oh…ahhhh…" she stammered. "Nah don't think so Tone," she shook her head ditzely.

"Oh nup, here it is," Jonesy proclaimed. "No worries," he pulled his wallet out of the depths of his pocket and searched vaguely through it. Roger waited patiently with the pills in his hand, the other packets still in a jumble in his other hand. He watched as Jonesy searched his wallet, which was conveniently free of identification, ensuring Tony was as real as can be, and definitely no one called Evan Jones. "Gee, I don't know if I've got enough money," Jonesy stated. He knew that was the moment and somehow Roger did too, proving he was not as dumb as he looked.

"This isn't very good Tony," Roger began. "I went out of my way to – " and they pounced, just as Mitch had said they would. Actually thy all just walked out of the shadows, but there were enough of them to prevent any attempted escape.

Roger noticed them immediately and tried to run anyway, but not even a metre from the light bulb, he put his foot in a pot hole and was sent sprawling, just like an innocent bushwalker putting their foot unknowingly into a rabbit hole. It was a classic capture, one to definitely write home about, Jonesy thought with a laugh. Roger was hurled to his feet by two of Mitch's colleagues who snickered at the unlucky soul who had lived his last night as a dealer on the streets of Melbourne.

If anybody asks you who I am

Just stand up tall, look 'em in the face and say…

I'm that star up in the sky

I'm that mountain peak up high

Hey I made it

I'm the worlds greatest

Later Jonesy and Susie sat with Mitch in his office, the moonlight streaming through the window and the desk lamp all that lit up the tiny room.

"I've gotta say guys, you've impressed the whole bloody squad," he still shook his head in disbelief.

"It was a team effort," Jonesy replied.

Mitch smiled curiously, cocking his head to the side. "You two really are on together aren't you?"

Susie and Jonesy stood up and made for the door. "You're the detective," Susie said. "You figure it out," and they exited the room, leaving Mitch thinking hard.

When they reached the main entrance of the ground floor and walked out onto the street, Jonesy turned to Susie. "So Octavia, what should we do now?" he hung his arms loosely around her waist.

She smiled back at him, placing her arms around his neck and teasing her fingers through his hair for a moment. "Well Tony, after all this, I think I need to relax. I say we go to another club, you buy me a drink and I finally get to have a dance with the sexiest guy in St Kilda tonight. How does that sound?" she raised her eyebrows at him and beamed.

"Sounds like a bloody good idea to me!" he kissed her passionately on the lips and then grabbed her hand and together they ran down the street, ready to let the music engulf them and dance the night away.

There's a fever in my bones that I know so well  
I keep my head low low low to avoid the swell

Party's just begun  
Party's just begun  
Party's just begun  
Party's just begun


End file.
